Bollito Misto

Ingredients

• 1.2 kg (2⅔ lb) beef brisket, in one piece
• 600 g (1⅓ lb) beef shin or tongue (optional; see Notes)
• 1 chicken thigh and leg set, or 1 small chicken
• 2 onions, one halved and studded with 2 cloves
• 2 carrots, 2 celery sticks, whole
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tbsp coarse salt
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• 400 g (14 oz) cotechino or good pork sausage
• 8 small potatoes

Salsa verde

• 1 large bunch flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked
• 2 anchovy fillets
• 1 tbsp capers, rinsed
• 1 small clove garlic
• 1 slice stale bread, soaked in 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 120 ml (½ cup) olive oil

Steps

1. Put the brisket, any shin and the onions, carrot, celery, bay, salt and peppercorns in a large pot. Cover with cold water by 5 cm (2 in).
2. Bring to a boil over high heat, skim off the foam, then lower to a gentle simmer, barely bubbling. Cook partly covered for 2 hours.
3. Add the chicken and simmer for 45 minutes more, until the brisket is tender and the chicken juices run clear.
4. In a separate pot, simmer the cotechino in water as the package says, usually 40 to 60 minutes. In another, boil the potatoes until tender, about 20 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, chop the parsley, anchovies, capers, garlic and squeezed bread to a coarse paste. Stir in the oil and a pinch of black pepper.
6. Lift all the meats out to a board and rest them for 10 minutes. Slice the brisket and sausage, and carve the chicken.
7. Arrange the meats on a warm platter, moisten them with a ladle of the hot broth, and serve with the potatoes, vegetables from the pot and salsa verde.

Notes

• Broth: strain it and serve it first with small pasta such as tortellini or stelline; it is intended as a first course.
• Other meats: veal, beef tongue and a cooked piece of shin are classic additions.
• Make ahead: the salsa verde keeps 2 days chilled; cooked meats reheat nicely in the broth. Keep 3–4 days.
• Freezer: the strained broth freezes 3 months, ready for tortellini in brodo.
• Shortcut: many shops sell pre-cooked cotechino; heat it in water as the packet says.
• Chef's touch: make the salsa verde first and let it sit 30 minutes, so the anchovy, caper and garlic mellow into the oil.